Just Keep Running
by EndlessStars
Summary: Ed wakes up in a van, severely injured and basically mute, with the Colonel next to him wearing a black mask and driving like a madman as bullets rain down on them from behind. And he has no idea how or why he's there. AU Parental!Roy/Ed
1. Chapter 1: In a Blink of an Eye

**A/N: I really should be working on my other fanfictions, but this stupid idea wouldn't leave me alone and I couldn't focus on anything else. So here I am, with _another_ fanfiction. To anybody reading my other stories, worry not, with this distraction of a story written, I can finally write a decent chapter. This story will be updated weekly as of right now, but next month, I probably won't update at all so that I can focus on my other fanfictions. With that said, here's a more detailed summary of this story:  
**

 _ **Ed wakes up in a van, severely injured and basically mute, with the Colonel next to him wearing black mask and driving like a madman as bullets rain down on them from behind. And he has no idea how or why he's there. The last thing he could remember is getting on a train for a mission he can't remember. Now, he's being told that King Bradley has been murdered, a new ruler has ruined Amestris and the surrounding nations, and that he's been missing for over a year. To top it all off, he apparently has amnesia, considering that he can't remember anything after getting on the train.**_

 _ **The burning wasteland and war zone that was once Amestris is a complete mystery to him because of this. Colonel Roy Mustang, now the only rebel force still standing to defy the "new ruler"and his only ally left, isn't helping much either as he refuses to say a word about what's happening. Ed has no choice but to follow Mustang into his new and drastically different "missions" in order to discover just how crazy the world he once knew has become. But all of these problems and questions are insignificant when compared to his most important question that nobody will answer. Where's Al?**_

 **In case it isn't already clear to you, this is a _BIT_ like an apocalyptic/ post-apocalyptic AU, but it still has canon characters, locations, and is essentially the same world. What really makes this an AU, to me at least, is that there's another villain who has interfered with Father's plan and the characters are in a completely different situation. Also, it might just be me, but there aren't many apocalyptic AUs in the FMA Fandom, which I find very strange, considering how popular it is in some other fandoms. Plus, I had a lot of fun writing this, which is why I decided to go ahead and post this story. If you have any questions or confusions, feel free to ask me about it, it'd be greatly appreciated! With that said, let the story begin!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FMA  
**

Chapter 1: In a Blink of an Eye

The last thing Edward Elric remembered was getting on a train, feeling annoyingly vulnerable due to the absence of his little brother. His purpose for getting on the train and the reason why Alphonse hadn't been with him was a mystery to him at the moment, but he vaguely recalled that he had a mission of some sort. Judging by his current predicament, he had probably failed fantastically.

He wasn't sure how he had failed or even what he failed at, but the burning sensation on his back and the numbing feeling spreading from his flesh arm alerted him that he was injured. Terribly injured. That didn't exactly sound like the results of a successful mission.

When he had first been woken up by the sound of gunshots and screeching tires, he had felt as if he was being continuously stabbed by lightning and a sick feeling had immediately began settling in his guts. To make things worse, when he had opened his mouth to groan in agony, he barely managed to produce any sound at all, save for a pathetic croak that even a frog would scoff at. As he was carelessly tossed around in the place where he sat, Ed slowly reconnected with the world and overcame his pain, allowing him to evaluate his situation. His vision was blurry and black spots danced around before his eyes, making it hard for him to figure out where he was, but the young alchemist determined that his surroundings were dark, meaning that it was probably nighttime. Tall shadows also surrounded him, before he realized that he was in the middle of the forest. The next thing he noticed was the feeling of movement beneath him and the breeze that brushed its weightless fingers though his hair, leading him to conclude that he was on a moving vehicle.

Due to the fact that he felt as if he had been sleeping all his life, it took awhile for him to come to his next realization. A really important realization. Since he was _obviously_ not the one driving this car, that meant that...

As if on cue, a voice next to him cursed violently as a storm of bullets flew by, barely missing their vehicle as they punched holes into the dirt road next to them. Ed slowly turned to see who the driver was, only to see a figure in an over-sized black coat wearing an equally black mask. The driver appeared to be tense, but the only sign of their nervousness was their hands, obscured by bone white gloves, gripping the steering wheel in a death hold. Other than that, the masked stranger appeared to be the epitome of tranquility. Ed opened his mouth, prepared to demand for some answers from the stranger, but once more, his voice didn't respond to his wishes and his throat ached at his attempt to speak. His demands came out as an unintelligible rasp, too quiet for the masked driver to hear over the sounds of their attackers, who seemed to be getting closer by the minute.

Heavy and strangely hollow sounding footsteps started to rise from the distance, getting louder and more rapid by the moment. Ed didn't dare look back to see the source of it, for it sounded as if an army were after them and it sent chills down his spine. The young alchemist was rarely frightened, but something about the footsteps sounded off and he had no urge to find out why.

In response to the sound of more pursuers, the masked driver growled in frustration and somehow managed to double their speed. Ed wisely decided to just stare at the road ahead, content with allowing the stranger focus on driving for their dear lives. He could always interrogate them later.

Suddenly, the night seemed to come to life as a wall of fire seemed to have risen from out of no where, blocking off the entire road and spreading throughout the surrounding area. The driver yelped in surprise and slammed his foot on the brakes. Dirt flew into the air as their vehicle came to a screeching halt, barely avoiding the flames by just a few feet. The air crackled with blue light, which could only be from the results of an alchemical reaction. The masked stranger took a few minutes to calm down, their hysterical breathing rapidly returning to normal. They then proceeded to unbuckle their seat belt and cautiously opened the door, only do nearly lose their life to a flurry of bullets. They immediately slammed the door shut, muttering some colorful words under their breath. Ed watched silently, not being capable of doing anything else. Also, he was now quite sure that the stranger was a man, considering how deep their voice was. But why did they sound so familiar?

He didn't get the chance to ponder on the matter for long however, as the stranger took out a familiar pair of gloves with red circles on them. Taking a deep breath, the now suspiciously familiar man slowly opened the window. He then quickly stuck a hand out of the car and a loud snap could be heard over the gunshots that were immediately fired at the sign of movement. A loud explosion shattered the night and through the rear view mirror, Ed saw a bright explosion which bought life to another wall of fire behind them. He turned to stare at the stranger with wide eyes. There was only one alchemist who could create such a powerful explosion...

The driver carefully stuck his head out the window, as if to make sure that their pursuers were no longer there. After a few seconds, when no bullet had hit him between his eyes, the masked stranger finally decided it was safe enough for him to get out. The car door was slammed shut after him as he approached the fire before them. Ed watched, wide eyed as the man stood a mere foot away from the flames and replaced his gloves with another pair, which had blue circles on them. He reached forward and a familiar series of blue light crackled in the air as it appeared to begin raining. Slowly, the flames began to die and within a few minutes, the only sign that the fire ever existed was the smoke still rising in the air.

Looking around, the masked stranger nodded in satisfaction before walking back to the vehicle. Ed watched silently, now thoroughly confused. What type of alchemist was this man? He seemed to be skilled in two vastly different forms of alchemy, on of which he'd never seen before...

After getting back in the car, the masked man drove onward, away from what would probably end up as a massive forest fire. Several minutes of relative peace passed as Ed struggled to process all that he had just seen while a wave of nausea came crashing down on him. They soon exited the forest, where the Fullmetal alchemist was met by a sight he has only seen in nightmares.

Under the full moon, as gray and lifeless as death itself, was a city. Unlike normal cities however, it was silent and dark. There was no sign of life. When they reached the edge of the abandoned metropolis however, the city's worst feature was revealed.

The misty air that settled like a white veil above the ghost town was drenched by the iron stench of blood. Ed choked on his own breath, feeling even more ill as the smell of war and death surrounded him. He didn't dare look around for the source of the smell, for despite his experience with death, he's never seen a the aftermath of a battle. The young alchemist feared that if he looked, he would find a pile of dead, wasted bodies. He wasn't sure if he could stomach such a sight, especially in his current condition.

The car suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Now that their lives weren't in danger, the masked man seemed to have noticed Ed gagging. The black masked face slowly turned to look at him. Ed froze. For a brief moment, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the stranger's heavy breathing. Then, the mask was removed, revealing a face that Ed had half expected to see. Roy Mustang looked as if he was on the verge of tears. The Colonel then spoke, his voice hopeful, yet cautious at the same time, as if he were afraid to be disappointed.

"Fullmetal?"

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it, though it did take a while for me to finish. Note that this isn't edited! I'll go back and edit all my chapters at a later date, but worry not, I _will_ edit this. I'd appreciate it if you showed some support by following, favoriting, and/or reviewing! Constructive criticism is especially appreciated, since I'm a beginner in the art of writing. I personally think that this chapter's only flaw was that it was repetitive and had bad pacing, but I'd like to know if there are any other mistakes. Feel free to ask me any questions if you're confused on anything and don't be afraid to tell me your honest opinion, even if that means telling me that this sucks. Until next week (hopefully, but I make no promises），I，EndlessStars, bid you farewell!**


	2. Chapter 2: What Awakens at Sunrise

**A/N: Hello reader, it's me again! First off, I'd like to give you all a big THANK YOU, for favoriting/following/reviewing! I really didn't expect to get so many followers/reviewers on the first chapter of any story I would ever publish, and it was _really_ exciting to see how many people enjoyed the previous chapter. Now, I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter, which doesn't have as much action in it compare to the last chapter. Beware! In this chapter Roy will have a monologue of some sort that gives you guys some background. Hopefully, it doesn't come off as lazy or boring, but if it is, please understand that this is necessary. Since this is and AU, I know I should give you guys some background so that you're not completely lost. However, if you have a better way for me to give some background info without having a character having to explain it (showing instead of telling), please do share! I'm having a lot of trouble with background info. Now, with no further ado, let the story continue!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FMA**

Chapter 2: What Awakens at Sunrise  


Ed stared at the hot cup of tea in his hands, watching as the steam rose and disappeared into the air in a spiral of transparent white mist, wishing that he too could simply disappear. Even now, he was still half convinced that this was all just a bad dream. Things like this simply don't happen to people. But here he was, sitting on a couch that smelled like smoke and death, right in front of Colonel Mustang. He wished more than ever that the Flame Alchemist weren't there. Because of him, Ed was being forced to accept that this wasn't all just a figment of his imagination. Even with all he's seen, he doubted that his mind can come up with something _this_ messed up.

Because no matter what happened, not even the overconfident pyromaniac of a Colonel should look like this. No human being should look this dead. What's more, Mustang looked so different that Ed could barely recognize him. Across the man's face was a long, still healing red scar and his countenance was a world paler and thinner than Ed remembered it to be. None of this was what really frightened the young alchemist however. After all, he had seen his brother's body disappear, had created a monster that had its guts exposed for the world to see, and had even lost two of his own limbs. A mere scar was nothing compared to that. No, it was the dull eyes that scared him. With eyes like that, Colonel Roy Mustang looked like a dead man, as if he was already gone and some other demented spirit had possessed his body.

Ed shuddered at the memory of those eyes. The only sign of emotion that his Commanding Officer has shown so far was the hope he had displayed upon seeing his subordinate awake. Since after that moment however, Mustang had become a machine of a man and the teen hasn't gathered enough courage to meet his eyes again.

His train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted as a voice spoke up.

"Hurry, Fullmetal." Roy said, lacking the impatience and emotion that should have been in his voice. "It's only a matter of time before _they_ come. We need to get to base by sunrise." Ed scowled at him, incapable of responding vocally. The Colonel completely ignored his glare however, and the teen reluctantly decided to follow his commands. After all, he had no interest in encountering any of _them_ either, whoever _they_ were. He didn't think his brain could take anymore surprises.

As soon as the last drop of the bitter, scalding hot liquid that was more of a medicine than a tea went down his throat, Mustang got up and approached the exit to the abandoned apartment building they were in. Ed struggled to copy his superior's actions, but soon discovered that his legs were far too weak to support his weight on their own. His flesh arm, which was cradled in a cast, and his bandage covered back weren't helping with his efforts to stand either. Mustang, who was in the process of opening the door on the other side of the room, looked back to see his struggles. With a deep sigh, the man went back to help his companion.

A strong arm went around him and Ed suddenly felt as if he had became a couple feet taller as he finally managed to stand. He turned to see the Colonel supporting him and glared bloody murder at his fellow alchemist, as if to say that he didn't need any help. Roy, seeing this expression, rolled his eyes in his second display of emotion since he had taken his black mask off.

"Don't even bother trying to walk on your own, Fullmetal, you can barely sit up straight without something to support you. And as wounded as your pride may be, I'm sure you'd prefer to survive till next moonrise, correct?" Ed's only available response was a hollow silence. The Colonel took that as a yes and continued on towards the van that he had been driving. Fortunately for both of them, Ed decided not to struggle, not being stupid enough to truly believe that he could even _crawl_ his way to the vehicle, let alone walk there.

As soon as both of them got on, Roy buckled his seat belt and stepped on the gas, charging deeper into the abandoned settlement, through the empty streets that were leading them towards the center of the city. As he drove, the Colonel glanced at Ed from the corner of his eyes.

"I suppose you want me to give you a more elaborate explanation about why we're here." He said carefully, trying to keep his expressionless facade on. The young alchemist nodded in response and an awkward moment of silence followed as Roy hesitated to continue. Ed didn't blame him for his reluctance to speak however, for he could practically see the rush of unwanted memories flashing before the older alchemist's eyes. Somehow, the Colonel managed to gather enough courage to start talking anyway.

"I'm not sure what happened to you, Fullmetal. We'll have to get you a pen and some paper later so you can explain your side of the story. But for me, this is the place where I've been hiding for the past six months. This has become my home now." Ed looked around the ghost town, where the shadows of ruined buildings spilled across the face of the concrete ground, concealing anything that could be lurking around in the dark before he looked back at Roy with an expression that seemed to say "Are you insane? Why would you hide here of all places?" The Colonel saw his expression and scowled.

"Don't give me that look. I know what you're thinking and I'll tell you right now, I didn't choose to stay in this city because I _liked_ it here. There are _thousands_ of other places I'd rather be, each much more pleasant than this hellhole will ever be. But none of those places are safe... Other than here, _no where_ in Amestris is safe... Briggs proved that." Roy tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he seemed to tremble in rage. Ed, curious and confused, gestured for him to continue on. "Until a few months ago, I had actually been hiding at Fort Briggs with the rest of what remained of the army. We were hidden in the snow and protected by the mountains, so I had thought that we were safe enough there. I thought that we stood a chance. I thought we had time to regroup and start preparing for war. We all believed that. We were _wrong_. It only took a month for _him_ to create his army, and they found and defeated us easily. After all, nobody could predict how far that _monster_ would go on his quest for power. And even if we did know that _they_ were coming, there was nothing we could've done to stop it. As far as I know, I was the only one who survived. The rest..." Mustang shook his head, as if the action would allow him to forget the memory of whatever had occurred. "The only reason I only lived was because I had ran like a coward. A damn coward... Then, eventually, while I was trying to escape Amestris, I somehow ended up here. I was only planning on catching my breath and gathering supplies at first, but before I left, I realized something." He abruptly stopped the van and unbuckled his seat belt. " _They_ can't find me here."

With that said, the Colonel got off the van and proceeded to help his subordinate do the same.

Ed had no idea what Roy had been talking about, and had what seemed like an infinite amount of questions in desperate need of answers to. At the same time, the young alchemist wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. Mustang wasn't usually so vague, preferring to be more straightforward instead of wasting time sugarcoating or avoiding things. Ed assumed that he had a good reason for being so vague this time, however frustrating and confusing it was for him. But there was one question that the teen really needed to know. _Who's_ they _? Why won't Mustang just say their name?_

His question would soon be answered.

The sun had just begun to rise when they had gotten off the van. Before they left however, the Colonel had mentioned that they needed to get to this "base" before then. It had something to do with "them". But it was now sunrise, and Roy was cursing under his breath as his eyes scanned the empty streets, fear and concern written clearly in his expression. Ed too, felt uneasy as his instincts screamed that something was not right here and that he should run while he still had legs to run on. Unfortunately, his limbs were weak, so he had to limp on at the pace of a snail, with the Colonel helping him along. He could only hope that they didn't have to stay out on the streets for long...

They had almost made it to their destination when it appeared. Roy was in the process of opening the door to a basement in a broken down building that he claimed to be his "base", when a shadow flew by them. The Colonel had whipped his head around in response and raised a hand, prepared to snap at whatever was nearby. Ed turned as well to see the source of the shadow. He didn't get a chance to look at it in great detail however, for a few seconds later, Mustang unceremoniously threw him into the basement like a sack of potatoes.

But he saw it alright.

Standing on the other side of the road, unaware of their presence, with wings for arms, claws for feet, and a beak for a mouth, was a chimera.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you! I had a lot of fun writing it and I have everything planned out now, though there are still some details I've yet to decide on and I still don't have a clue how long this will be. Follow/favorite if you haven't already, I'd like to know whether or not if you enjoyed this chapter. Also, review! I've said this on every chapter of every story I've published on here, but I remind you that I'd be grateful for some constructive criticism. I'd especially like to know if Roy's explanation was too vague or confusing, if this was paced badly, or if the events flowed or not. Note that this isn't edited, but if you spot any errors, please let me know so I can change it later. I don't have a beta reader or even anybody in real life that takes my writing or me seriously enough to give me their honest opinion, so I'm relying on you guys to give me some feedback. However, don't feel as if I'm forcing you to review. If you don't want to, I definitely understand, considering that I'm also a bit of a silent reader. Thank you curligurl0896, Brenne, BlueIsTheColourOfOurPlanet, Guest, Relena Duo, an The SoulEater Alchemist for your reviews last chapter, and thank you everybody who favorited/followed! I hoped you like this chapter. Until next week (no promises), I, EndlessStars, bid you farewell!  
**


	3. Chapter 3: A Man Made of Steel

**A/N: Hello reader, it's me again! Sorry for not updating last week, I was preoccupied by another fic of mine. Thank you to everyone who followed,favorited, or reviewed! Your support meant a lot to me! I especially tank Griselda Banks for their constructive criticism! I found it really helpful and have made notes to edit my previous chapters later. If anybody else has any constructive crit or confusions, please tell me! Now, with no further ado, let the story continue!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

Chapter 3: A Man Made of Steel

Ed had no clue what the Colonel had done to the monstrous creature that he had only caught a glimpse of, but he was pretty sure that he didn't want to know. Judging by the sounds of thundering explosions and raindrops punching the ground angrily, the battle had lasted quite awhile. But at some point in time, all those sounds had just vanished.

Ed was certain that the five minutes he had spent crouching in the darkness of the basement in his own little world of silence had been the longest five minutes of his life. Seconds crawled by slowly, each tick waiting a century to be followed by the next tock. At one point, Ed had even convinced himself that he would spend the rest of his life there, in that dark room, not ever learning how he had ended up there in the first place.

The thought had scared him enough for him to try standing up, but the concussion that he had acquired when he had been thrown into the basement didn't allow his already weak body to cooperate with his wishes, and he tumbled back down the moment he tried to lift his shoulders off the ground. It was as if the earth had glued him to the floor.

So he laid there and waited, his head pounding, nausea building inside of him, as he wondered if Mustang was even still alive and what he would do if he wasn't. Then, the bubble of silence that had surrounded him was suddenly popped as an inhuman scream suddenly rang in his ears. Ed had never heard such a terrible scream before. It sounded as if the being that had produced the sound was being dragged deep into the earth by a demon, never to be free again. Ed used his automail hand to cover one of his ears, but his flesh arm was unfortunately broken and in a cast, so the terrible cry was far from blocked out. The scream lasted for a whole, torturous minute, before abruptly stopping.

And then Ed waited once more, in silence.

He was beginning to believe that the scream had come from Mustang and that the man was dead, when the door to the basement opened. Thankfully it was the Colonel who walked in and not some human-bird chimera. Then, he noticed the knife in the man's hands, completely covered in a red liquid. He gave Mustang a half horrified, half questioning look, which was either unnoticed or ignored, for he got no response. The Colonel proceeded to open a drawer near the entrance and took out a long candle which he lit with a snap of his fingers. Light spread throughout the room like a growing puddle on a rainy day and Ed could finally see his surroundings.

The room itself was rather empty, save for a couch and a coffee table, but along the walls were three doors, each probably leading to another room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all a dull, lifeless gray. The only colorful things in the room was the blue couch and a single, half dead rose sagging in a plastic bottle of water. It was a rather depressing sight.

The Colonel placed the candle on the coffee table before helping Ed get to the couch. After having treated his subordinate's injuries, Mustang went into the one of the rooms and returned with a pen and notepad.

"I know you're probably freaked out at the moment, especially after what you've probably just seen." Roy said monotonously. "However, I need you to write down everything you know about the King. And I mean everything. I have to know in order to even begin dreaming about overthrowing that tyrant." He handed Ed the pen and notepad.

The young alchemist wrote as quickly and legibly as he could with his automail hand, before handing back the notepad to Mustang.

 _What the hell is going on?_

* * *

Eventually, the two alchemists had arrived to the conclusion that Ed had amnesia. The Colonel hadn't been happy about that and had immediately ordered Ed to sleep. refusing to read Ed's questions and demands that he had written on his notepad. A few moments later, the young alchemist was alone on the couch in the now dark room once more. Mustang had gone into a room of his own and despite the walls between him and the Colonel, Ed could still hear him snoring away. The young alchemist however, was having trouble sleeping himself, because according to Mustang during their brief "conversation", he had lost a years worth of memories. He was having an understandably hard time computing that fact.

People simply don't fall asleep on a train only to wake up a year later. On top of all that, he happened to have been MIA for a year, so Mustang had little information to tell him about what had happened to him in that time. With a million questions pestering his mind and little time to process everything that had occurred that night, Ed laid on the couch, wide awake as he stared into the darkness unblinkingly.

He didn't know how many hours he'd spent wondering about what had happened to him. But eventually, he got tired and finally fell asleep.

* * *

Ed was rudely awakened by the sound of the Colonel's voice.

"Get up Fullmetal. Today, I'm giving you a tour of your new home. After you heal, I won't always be around so you'll have to know where to get any resources that you might need. Weapons, clothing, food, and anything else you can think of are usually found in the supply room." Mustang gestured to one of the doors nearby. "However, if you run out of anything important, you'll have to know where to find it." Before Ed even had time to process his words, the Colonel dragged him to his feet and guided him to the van.

As they drove down the streets, Mustang pointed out different buildings that had different supplies available. "That's the grocery store. I think it's obvious, but most of the fruits, vegetables, and meat there are no longer edible. However, if you're in desperate need of food or water, there's canned meals and bottles of water there. Remember, only come out here if it's an emergency and only come out during the night. The King's drones and minions are usually out here during the day and even with the heavy stench of blood here, they'll probably detect you. However, if you _do_ bump into another chimera or anything else that has the ability to move, don't try to fight it unless you have to. Your best option is to get back to base. They can't get to you through those steel doors. Also..."

Ed soon lost interest in whatever Mustang was talking about, considering that he was starting to sound more paranoid than informational. As the young alchemist absently took note of the important locations that the Colonel had pointed out, his mind once again wandered to the realm of his imagination, which was still trying to figure out what had happened to him in the past year or so.

About half an hour later, Ed was suddenly interrupted from his thoughts as the stench of death suddenly disappeared. He blinked and saw that they had somehow ended up at the edge of the forest that Ed had woken up in last night. Confused he wrote something on the notepad that he had bought along.

 _What are we doing here?_

Mustang read the note and then explained. "As you might recall, we were being chased by a large group of enemies last night. I'm fairly confident that I took care of all of them last night, but it doesn't hurt to check twice. We're also low on food supplies and I don't plan on eating canned food everyday. I'm going to hopefully catch a few animals and gather some fruits and berries. While I do that, _you_ stay here and don't try to leave. You hear me?" Ed rolled his eyes and scribbled something down before showing it to Mustang.

 _Do I look like I'm capable of leaving on my own?_ The Colonel was not amused.

"I'm serious, Fullmetal. There will probably be something that makes you curious while I'm gone, but don't leave. It'll probably be one of _them_ trying to lure you out. As long as you stay here and don't open the door however, you'll be perfectly safe. Okay?" Ed nodded. Assured, Mustang opened the door and disappeared down the road leading into the forest.

For several hours, Ed waited patiently and silently for the Colonel to finish doing everything he needed to do, doodling on his notepad absently. Then, a shadowy figure appeared down the road. At first Ed thought it was Mustang. Then it got closer. The pen fell from Ed's hands.

 _Is that Al?_

Sure enough, an armored figure that looked exactly like his little brother was approaching him, slowly but surely. At first he was ecstatic, overjoyed to see his brother. He knew that Al was capable of taking care of himself, but he had still been worried about his sibling. He was about to unbuckle his seat belt and open the door to greet his brother when he remembered the Colonel's warning.

 _There will probably be something that makes you curious while I'm gone, but don't leave. It'll probably be one of_ them _trying to lure you out. As long as you stay here and don't open the door however, you'll be perfectly safe._ Was this a trick? Was it merely an illusion? It certainly didn't look like one. Surely this was his little brother! But as he thought about it, he realized that this _couldn't_ be Al. His real brother would have been just as excited as he had been to see Ed, especially if he had been MIA for a year. He would have been sprinting down the road to finally be reunited with his older brother. But this stranger, this illusion, was coming towards him at the pace of a garden snail. This wa _s_ n't Al.

 _But as long as I don't open the door, I'll be fine._ He thought to himself and relaxed. A few minutes later, the fake Al arrived and stood in front of the car. Ed glared at it. _Nice try, but I'm not opening the door for you. You're just an illusion trying to lure me out of the car._ But the suit of armor did nothing to try and coax him out. Instead, it just stared, straight through his eyes and into his soul. Ed found himself petrified with fear. _What does it want._ He vaguely wondered through the haze of horror and panic fogging his mind.

Then, just as Ed was starting to find the stranger's stare unbearable, the fake Al raised a fist slammed it into the van, leaving a dent. Before Ed could process what had just occurred, the not-Al climbed onto the car.

The sound of breaking glass shattered the night.

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 **A/N: I'm a bit concerned about this chapter's pacing, but it was really fun to write! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Follow/favorite/review if you haven't already. Again, reviews are especially encouraging and appreciated. Constructive crit is also welcomed! Thank you curligurl0896, Brenne, The SoulEater Alchemist, Rufescent, and Griselda Banks for reviewing last chapter! Until the next time I update (hopefully next week, but no promises!), I, EndlessStars, bid you farewell!  
**


	4. Chapter 4: I Don't Know

**A/N: Hello reader! It's me again! Thank you all for favoriting/following/and reviewing! It meant a lot to me and encouraged me to hurry up and finish this chapter. I apologize for my mistakes last chapter. After rereading it, I had made a few minor changes, but nothing major was changed. I just fixed a few mistakes that I couldn't bear to just leave there. This chapter was rather difficult to write, because I tried to have the characters have strong emotions. To me, the emotions and development of a character is one of the most important parts of a story, even though it's one of the things I struggle most at in writing. It would mean the world to me if one you guys can give me some feedback, especially in this chapter. Constructive criticism is welcomed and desperately wanted! I'm not sure how long the next chapter will take since I need to update two of my other stories and have another story waiting to be published, but without further ado, let the story continue!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I think it's quite obvious at this point in time, but... I don't own FMA.**

Chapter 4: I Don't Know

Ed's heart nearly pounded its way out of his chest as the metal hand reached for him through the shattered window. Glass rained in, like a storm of sharp, deadly crystal rain. Time itself seemed to slow as he watched the fake Al get closer and closer. A small voice inside his head was screaming at him hysterically, telling him to move or he would be a dead man soon. However, his attention was still held captive by the two red, soulless eyes of his brother's impostor.

So he sat there, like a frightened mouse waiting for his enemy to strike, his body injured and still petrified by fear. Then, half a millisecond later, the young alchemist regained his wits as his brain was slammed by the realization that he was staring at death's doors. If he didn't do something now, this would _really_ be it. He would _really_ die.

 _No! Not yet!_ Ed thought frantically. _I don't want to die! Not like this... Not yet._ But he couldn't even stand on his own. How could he fight, run, or do anything about his predicament?

Then, as if it a mind of its own, his automail hand moved, tapping his flesh hand hanging uselessly in its cast. Red sparks bought the air around him to life as his automail arm raised to defend him from the upcoming attack. But nothing ever came.

With a hollow _thump_ , he felt something hard and heavy land on his legs. His closed eyes snapped open to see what it was.

Both he and the fake Al stared in silence.

On his lap, was one of the armored stranger's limbs. The one that had just tried to crush his skull.

A twenty feet tall wave of emotions crashed its way into his thoughts as Ed realized what he had just done. There was relief, that he had somehow stopped his attacker, shock at what he had just done, fear of what was to come next. But most importantly, he remembered that he was _far_ from defenseless.

 _Alchemy! Of course! Why didn't I think of that earlier?_ He scolded himself. _That should have been the obvious choice for defending myself!_

He didn't have much time to think about this revelation however, for the fake Al seemed to snap out of his temporary daze. An unnatural red light began pulsing somewhere deep inside the empty suit of armor.

Ed stared, wide eyed once more, as the limb that he had just taken off grew back once more in a shower of red sparks. Knowing that he would probably not be able to thwart another blow, the alchemist suddenly lunged forward and pushed the not-Al back. Not expecting the sudden movement, his attacker flew back several feet and landed with a _clang._

Despite knowing the fact that it probably wouldn't do much good, Ed quickly mended the window and created a shield for himself using the fake Al's arm.

His breath was quick and shallow as he raised a thin metal shield, feeling as if his efforts were all in vain. As if it were only a matter of time.

He heard the footsteps, thundering towards him at an inhuman speed. The closer it got, the more his heart thrashed, as if it wanted to beat as much more as it could, as if it wanted to run away from his inevitable fate.

Then, just as he was bracing himself for death, the air around him dropped several degrees. The footsteps stopped. After a few moments, he finally processed the fact that he wasn't dead and that something had happened. Lowering his shield slowly, Ed looked to see what had happened.

Wrapped in a giant cube of ice, so thick that he couldn't even see it anymore, the fake Al stood, frozen. Behind it, with white gloves that had blue alchemical circles sewn on it, a familiar masked face could be seen.

For once in his life, Ed was glad to that Mustang was there.

* * *

Roy should have known that with his luck, something was bound to go wrong tonight. Before coming to the forest, he had actually considered leaving Ed behind at the base so that he would have one less thing to worry about. But he had decided against it, not wanting to waste any time. The sooner he finished gathering food and checking for enemies, the better.

Everything had actually been going quite well, when something happened. Later, he would realize that it was the sound of shattering glass in the distance that had alerted him to the presence of an attacker. But when he had first heard it, it had been so faint, he was sure that it had been a figment of his imagination. Still, his instincts told him that he should go back and check on Ed. At the same time however, he didn't want to waste any time going back since it was probably nothing.

In the end, he decided that he wasn't willing to take the risk of _assuming_ that the only living ally he trusted was safe. With a feeling of dread brewing at the back his mind, Mustang had marched back towards the van, trying to convince himself that there was nothing wrong.

Then he saw it. One of the Al clones that the tyrant of Amestris had created. It was charging towards Ed, who had nothing but a glass window, that seemed to have been fixed by alchemy, and a pitiful shield, that the young alchemist had somehow created, between him and a deadly metal fist.

Roy had stood there hopelessly, watching in horror at first, sure that he couldn't do anything to save his companion that he had just rescued the day before. He had believed that there was no hope. Then, he thought of what would happen if Ed were to die.

He would return to his everyday life, he supposed. He would return to desperately fighting the King from the shadows, knowing that his efforts were all in vain. He would live everyday with the fear, the knowledge that one day, he would be discovered. He would have nothing to worry about besides surviving and trying his best to kill the monster that had ruined Amestris. He would be a lone rebel once more. He would be alone.

 _Alone._

The word seemed to echo in his mind repeating itself until he suddenly found the idea to be unbearable.

For _months_ he had not used his voice, having no one to speak to. For _months_ he had been alone in his struggles, mourning for deaths of his friends and allies without the comfort of at least knowing that _someone_ was still there. He didn't want to go back to that life. He couldn't. It would be too cruel to bear.

Just after _finally_ finding a familiar face, only to have it snatched away... No, that can't happen. He won't _let_ it happen.

With a sudden rush of desperate strength, Roy ran down the road to Ed's aid, faster than he had ever ran before. He felt a strangled battle cry trying to claw its way out of his throat, only to be stopped by a bubble of rising emotions. Then, somehow, he had finally caught up to the fake Al.

Stopping a just few feet away from the van, he quickly raised his hand and blue light crackled around him. He felt the temperature plummeting.

The Al clone was just a few feet away from the vehicle when the ice surrounding his body solidified, stopping him in his tracks. Roy watched with emotionless eyes as the layers of ice thickened, more and more, until the suit of armor was nothing more than a gray blur.

After being sure that the steel warrior was completely frozen, he turned his attention to Ed, his breathing slowing when he saw that he was okay. He _hadn't_ been too late after all.

* * *

During their entire trip back into the city, Ed had been in a state of shock, trying to gather and organize a million scattered thoughts. Roy wisely decided to stay silent, allowing his subordinate and himself to calm down after the events of that night. There was still plenty of time before sunrise, but the Colonel had gathered a fair amount of food and wanted nothing more than to return to the safety of the base.

As soon as he finally dragged Ed back and onto the couch, he turned, intending to prepare a much needed meal for himself and the younger alchemist, but was stopped when he felt something tug on his sleeve.

He turned to see Ed, who had finally recovered from his state of shock, holding up his notepad. There were three words written on it.

 _Where is Al?_

It was a question that he should have expected, but he didn't have an answer of any sort ready to give to his subordinate. What's more, just thinking of the younger Elric brother bought back images of unwanted memories...

"Al can take care of himself, Fullmetal." He said slowly, somehow keeping his voice steady. "There's no need for you to worry." He tried to push the notepad away, but Ed shook the small stack of papers stubbornly, refusing to just leave it at that.

 _Where is Al?_

"Ed, your brother is probably in better condition than you are. His current body is made of steel-"

The young alchemist quickly scribbled something down and showed it to Roy, cutting him off.

 _Tell me. Now._

Mustang didn't like where this going and attempted to change the subject. "I'll answer your questions later. But for now, I'm hungry and I'm sure you are as well. So if you'll just allow me to-" Ed nearly carved his next words into the notepad.

 _Tell me NOW. Where is he?_

The Fullmetal Alchemist had started trembling, his emotions starting rise with his growing concern. Roy had no idea what his next words should be.

"Ed-" Before he could continue however, the boy seemed to know what he was about to say, for he stabbed his pen down so hard on the notepad as he tried to write his next words, that he created a hole through the stack of papers. Staring at it with wide eyes, as if just realizing what he had just done, tears began to form in Ed's eyes. The young alchemist looked up at his Commanding Officer, as if begging for an answer.

 _Where is Al?_

The Colonel took one look at Ed and suddenly knew that he couldn't lie. Not about this. "I don't know." Roy said quietly, resigned to the fact that the young alchemist would have to know at some point. "He went missing a few weeks after you. Nobody's seen a shadow of him since then. W-we... we did find his head in an alley. But it-" Mustang stopped himself from continuing on. He got the feeling that there were some things that the boy shouldn't know or need to know. This was one of those things.

Unfortunately, he appeared to have already spoken too much.

Roy saw it coming before even Ed did. He saw something within his subordinate snap.

"Why haven't you found him yet? Why aren't you looking for him right now?" Mustang took a step back in surprise as he heard the young alchemist speak for the first time in a year, as he finally heard a _voice_ other than his own for the first time in months. But something wasn't right here. Other than the fact that his voice sounded hoarse and scratchy, like it was barely able to function, something about his words were terribly wrong.

It was laced with grief induced madness.

"You should be looking for him now!" Ed screamed as best he could, throwing the notepad at Roy. The Colonel winced at the words and the thought of how much pain the boy must be going through in order to use his probably damaged voice.

"Fullmetal, calm down-" He began to say but was quickly cut off.

"Calm down?" Ed whispered, so quietly, Roy could barely hear him. "Calm down? My little brother is out there somewhere, along with those _things._ And despite what you appear to believe, Al is not immortal. He's still human. For all I know a chimera or some clone of his could have wiped off his blood seal. He could be _dead._ And you want me to _calm down?_ " His words were met with a grim silence. "You're a bigger fool than I thought you were." Mustang frowned at those words.

"Al isn't dead, Fullmetal." He said confidently. "I don't have any proof, but you should have at least as much faith as I have for him. Al too is an alchemist. He can take care of himself." His words didn't seem to have any effect on Ed.

"Leave." The boy whispered apathetically, closing his eyes and clenching his fists.

"Ed, I'm just trying to-"

"I don't need your help." The young alchemist said, as if reading his mind. Several moments of silence passed as Ed struggled to finish speaking. "Just... Leave."

And with a frown that was instantly swept away by his now default facade of apathy, Roy Mustang did leave, with no intentions of offering any more help for sometime to come.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! I'm FINALLY done! This took forever to write! I debated on publishing this tomorrow but decided to just get this published and over with, which is why I'm still up at 11:30 pm :(. But it was worth it (I think...). I would extremely appreciate it if you were to show some support for me and my hard work by favoriting/following/reviewing. Constructive criticism and reviews in general are especially appreciated. Thank you Guest, Brenne, The SoulEater Alchemist, Relena Duo, and waddiwasiwitch for reviewing last chapter! I remind you, I especially need advice on expressing a character's emotions. Also, I'd like to know about the last scene. Was it overly dramatic? Melodramatic? Please let me know! Until next time, I, EndlessStars, bid you farewell!  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Fear the Sun

**A/N: Why hello there, reader... It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm _so_ sorry this chapter took so long. Life got busy, I was/still am in the middle of outlining other fanfics and my own original works, and on top of all that, I was hit by a severe case of the dreaded writer's block. I knew exactly what was supposed to happen in this chapter but couldn't, for the life of me, find the right words. But none of that matters, does it? I'm back now with a new chapter, and that's all that really matters. Thank you to everybody who favorited/followed/reviewed! Your support has helped me continue writing this fic and as fast as possible. I especially like to thank Whowearspantaloons, Guest, waddiwasiwitch, and Brenne for you're reviews last chapter! I have read your suggestions and feedback and will be sure to keep your advice at the back of my mind as I write/edit this story. If anyone else has any advice, confusion, questions, concerns, ect, feel free to tell me! And to anybody else who still remembers this fic and has not become disinterested, thank _you_ too! I'm so glad and thankful that your still here! Now, with no further ado, let the story continue!  
**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own FMA.**

Chapter 5: Fear the Sun

In the darkness of the Base Ed sat on the couch, a book in hand, trying to ignore the disturbing sounds coming from the outside. At this point in time, the young alchemist thought he should be accustomed to those sounds, making them easy to forget. After all, it's been nearly a month since he woke up in the van. But no matter how many nights passed, the hollow footsteps of what he suspected to be Al clones and the disgusting animal noises coming from who knows what, were just as haunting as they ever were, piercing into his thoughts and plaguing them with unsettling images.

Just above him, Ed heard a metallic foot colliding with something and a strange, distorted voice cursing.

He shuddered.

The image of an Al clone popped up in his head.

Deciding that there was nothing to be gained from attempting to ignore the sounds outside, Ed closed his book abruptly and laid down to try and sleep.

The sound of something tapping and scratching at the floor above him sounded. The floor boards groaned in what sounded like a cry of agonizing fear as something walked across it. Ed threw a pillow over his head and turned his back away from the direction of the door, hoping that the act would somehow make the sounds and creatures outside disappear.

But the sounds weren't blocked out at all. In fact, they were getting louder by each passing moment. Ed ignored it, squeezing his eyes shut.

 _They can't find me here. I'm protected by the heavy stench of blood._ He reminded himself, for perhaps the tenth time that night.

Right above him, he heard a heavy footstep. Something pounded at the ceiling. He laid there, stiff and still, like a statue, willing the intruders to leave. The sounds moved away.

He was given a moment of relief until he realized that the footsteps were walking towards the direction of the door to the base. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat. Bolting into sitting position, Ed struggled to steady himself on his feet as quickly as he could before moving towards the supply room.

 _They wouldn't come in... would they?_ He wondered, inching towards his destination. _What reason would they have for coming here? As far as they know, there's not a single human being here alive._ Despite his attempts to reassure himself, he continued towards the supply room, where he knew the weapons were stored.

The footsteps and scratches moved in the opposite direction, getting closer and closer to the door.

Ed picked up his pace.

His finger had just brushed the door knob when a loud, resounding click echoed throughout the room. He froze and tensed. _Please let it be the Colonel Bastard. Please..._ He prayed to no one in particular. A head appeared from opening, only a shadow against the blinding sunlight spilling into the base. The stranger looked around the room, still mostly hidden in shadows, before their glowing, cat-like eyes landed on Ed.

The young alchemist forced himself to stay perfectly still and held his breath. Although it felt as if the eyes upon him was piercing the darkness and seeing him, he got the feeling that he was still safe.

Because of this, Ed decided to take a chance and twisted the door knob. From the corner of his eyes, he saw an Al clone look inside the room as well. He pushed the door.

Then, to his absolute horror, a creak was heard throughout the room. Two pair of eyes focused on him.

He had a total of three seconds to get over his horror, realize that a strange bird chimera was about to take his head off, dive into the supply room, and slam the door shut. A pair of claws stabbed their way through the door and started slicing through the wood like knife through butter.

Cursing like a panicked sailor, Ed fumbled for the nearest weapon, a rifle, and backed away from the door as much as possible.

 _Come on, Ed! Get yourself together and face the damn thing already!_ He told himself angrily before steadying his trembling hands. More than he ever had in the past month, the young alchemist wished that he was strong enough to use alchemy. But in his current state, despite the fact that he had a month to heal, Ed was still too weak to use alchemy without the risk of passing out.

He was interrupted from his wishful thinking when the door suddenly flew off its hinges and landed on the floor before him. A mouth full of sharp, blood stained teeth came towards him. Ed raised his weapon, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

A loud scream pierced his ears as blood rained around him. The Al clone behind the now dead chimera shouted in surprise and alarm.

Ed didn't bother to look at his target's dead corpse. Instead, he took advantage of the fake Al's momentary shock and attacked.

Several gunshots hung in the air as the young alchemist fired over and over again, relentlessly shooting the Al clone's "core" as Mustang had called it. Several holes appeared in the suit of armor, but each one was soon fixed on its accord. Desperate and fearful, Ed continued to fire, faster than before.

The Al clone had now recovered from its shock and had turned its attention to its attacker. It began walking towards the young alchemist, not at all slowed by the relentless shower of bullets.

When the suit of armor was just a foot away, Ed pulled at the trigger once more, only to find that there weren't any bullets left. He dropped his gun and leaned against the wall, trying to think his way out of his predicament. Escape wasn't possible, for the Al clone was too close. Getting another gun and continuing to shooting was out of the question since it didn't seem to have much effect previously. _Alchemy..._

Ed clenched his fists. He didn't have much of a choice. He'd rather pass out and go down fighting than get killed while he was backed against a wall. He clapped his hands together and lunged towards his opponent.

The fake Al faltered, not expecting the sudden movement. It was a fatal mistake.

A moment later, Ed was upon him. A shower of red sparks flew in the air around them and with a distorted cry of anger, the suit of armor was reduced to a pile of steel.

Breathing heavily, the young alchemist stood and stared at the pile of metal, expecting it to suddenly put itself back together and kill him. Nothing happen.

With the world spinning before him, Ed carefully stepped past the dead Al clone and stumbled towards the door, intending to lock it once more.

The sun, he could see, was setting.

Mustang would be coming back from his mission that he set out for the previous night soon. The chimeras and Al clones would be returning to their master. He would be safe.

For now, at least.

* * *

Ed was sitting on the couch once more, a cup of tea in hand. He didn't particularly like the beverage, but it helped him keep his mind off of recent events and Mustang's absence.

Ever since his first encounter with an Al clone, he had been sure that he hated the Colonel. He had been sure that he was to be blamed for his little brother's disappearance, for he had not tried hard enough to find him. He knew that this reason was hardly a logical or correct one, but he needed someone to blame. So, for the past few weeks, Ed had been essentially ignoring Mustang, and the Colonel reciprocated the action. Unless he was tending to Ed's wounds or giving him food, Mustang locked himself in his "office" working on a mysterious plan.

Last night, he decided to put that plan into action and left Ed to his own devices, claiming that he would return the next night.

It was now five o'clock a.m. Ed had gotten about an hour of sleep. The sun was about to rise. Mustang had not returned.

Ed tapped his foot impatiently, wondering if something had happened.

As much as he disliked the Colonel at the moment, he did _not_ want to spend another day alone in the Base. The thought of having to face the chimeras and Al clones alone again made him sick to his stomach.

As the sounds of a few returning monsters started up again, Ed slowly came to the realization that this was how Mustang had been living for the past six months. That gave him a newfound respect for the man. Anyone who could live like this for so long without losing their sanity deserved at least that much.

Ed felt his anger against the Colonel begin to leave, to be replaced by the reluctant acceptance that the man had done nothing wrong. He decided to start "talking" to the Colonel once more (his voice has yet to return). After all, he was his only ally in this hell. They really shouldn't be fighting or ignoring each other... Not that Ed was going to apologize. Rocks were more likely to sing than for that to happen. But he couldn't exactly make amends with the Colonel when he _hasn't returned yet._

Six o'clock came. Mustang wasn't there.

 _Maybe he's running late or something._ Ed thought to himself as he went to get himself another cup of tea.

Seven o'clock. Still no sign of the Colonel Bastard.

Ed began pacing, ignoring the pain in his legs and back, as he theorized what could've delayed Mustang from returning.

Eight o'clock. Nothing.

He scowled, unable to just sit and wait any longer. Coming to a decision, Ed marched into the supply room and began packing bottles of water, food, a dagger or two, and threw a rifle over his shoulder. Something had happened and he didn't plan on sitting around for a couple more days in the company of a dead chimera and ruined suit of armor. He was going to find the Colonel Bastard, or die trying. Gripping his bag and steeling his nerves, Ed swung the door open and stepped out of the base.

In the golden sunlit city, he immediately spotted dozens of chimera in the sky and a patrol of Al clones. It was like a sight out of a nightmare.

His instincts screamed at him to return to the Base.

Instead, he opened the door of the building and stepped outside.

Suddenly, he got the sinking feeling that he was going to regret his actions.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm still not happy with how this chapter turned out, but I decided that I've kept my readers waiting long enough -_- I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! What do think? Was there anything you especially liked or disliked about it? I'd love to know, so feel free to leave a review~ Constructive criticism is very much appreciated. Was the fight scene exciting? Boring? Iffy? Was Ed acting OOC when he decided to acknowledge that Roy wasn't to blame for Al's disappearance? Was OOC for being somewhat concerned for Mustang? Please let me know, but don't feel as if you're obligated to review. I understand if you don't, for I do that as well when read fanfic :) Follow/ favorite if you want to and haven't already. I have a TON of homework and a few other fanfics to update, but I'm hoping to update again next week (No promises though!) Whatever the case, I guarantee that I won't disappear for a month again.**

 **Responses to reviews: I've seen other authors do this, so I thought I'd try it this chapter. If you have any questions or anything, review and I'll be sure to respond next chapter :)**

 **Brenne: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and am still interested in this story! Obviously, I'm not going to reveal anything about Ed's memory loss just yet, you'll just have to wait and see. As for the tyrant's identity, I think I mentioned it in an author's note in a previous chapter, but to clear things up, the tyrant is an OC because of reasons I can't tell without spoiling anything yet.**

 **waddiwasiwitch: Hope you're still reading this. Thanks for the review :)**

 **Guest: LOL, that's a hilarious image! XD Hope you're still enjoying this story!**

 **Whowearspantaloons: Hope you're still reading this! Thank you for the feedback! I found it really helpful and reassuring since I was sure that the chapter sucked -_- Now that I think about it, having Ed breaking down and crying IS really OOC. I'll be sure to avoid having that too much in future chapters :) I hope this chapter didn't disappoint and feel free to voice any other concerns!**

 **With all that said, I hope each one of you have enjoyed this chapter! Until next week/ some time soon, I, EndlessStars, bid you farewell!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Watcher

**A/N: Hello reader! I'm so sorry that I was late updating this chapter! At least this didn't take a month again... Any who, life got busy and I took awhile to finish this chapter. Also, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday! :) I'm THANKFUL for all of you and your support, and now GIVE you a new chapter. And thank you to everybody who favorited/followed/reviewed. I got more reviews than usual last chapter (not that I'm complaining), and I hope I don't disappoint with this chapter. In fact, all of you keep reviewing or do so if you haven't. It'll be greatly appreciated! That said, the next update should be soon. I'll be busy spending time with my family this week, but since it's Thanksgiving break, I'll be able to stay up late and will probably have the next chapter ready by the end of the break. That said, let the story continue!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything :(  
**

Chapter 6: The Watcher  


The feeling that he was being watched followed Ed, even after he managed to get out of the city. He wasn't sure if he was being paranoid or if something was really there, but the young alchemist definitely felt it. A pair of sharp intelligent eyes watching him from a distance, waiting for him to react to its presence. Death following him like a shadow, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His journey out of the city had been suspiciously peaceful and smooth too.

Even so, Ed pushed back his fears, telling himself that he was imagining things and that if there was an enemy, he would be able to deal with it just fine. It was thoughts like this that gave him a dangerously large amount of false bravery.

He marched into forest now, following the subtle trail that Mustang left behind when he went on his mission the day before. A broken branch here and there, faint footsteps in the soft forest ground, and a combination of other signs all came together to give Ed a decent idea as to which way the Colonel had gone. He stomped onward loudly and angrily.

"I'm not scared of you!" Ed declared to the forest and the person watching him. If there was one, that is. "I know you're there! If you intend to fight me, stop hiding in the shadows and do it already! It doesn't matter when you strike, because the results will not change. There is no doubt in my mind that I will defeat you!" Ed knew that giving away his presence to any nearby enemies wasn't the best idea ever, but he was tired of waiting. If there was somebody watching him, he wanted them to leave one way or another. Besides, after spending a month cowering in a basement and acting like a complete pansy, the Fullmetal Alchemist was ready for a fight. He had a wounded pride to heal and a bit of dignity left to defend.

However, long minutes passed and nothing seemed to have heard his declarations.

Ed frowned. _So there wasn't anything there after all._ He thought to himself and continued to follow the Colonel's tracks.

But as he walked, doubt plagued his mind like some incurable disease. The feeling had not left yet. In fact, it had only intensified after his arrogant act. The eyes were now burning holes into the back of his head. Death was now sharpening its axe.

Ed walked on, picking up his pace slightly.

His heart was pounding and the logical part of him was berating him for his foolish words. The young alchemist began regretting his declaration and wished more than anything that he could go back in time and change his actions. But it was too late now. The deed had been done and Ed had to face the consequences.

He tried to focus on tracking Mustang, staring ahead determinedly as he ignored the growing knot in his stomach. His breath grew gradually heavier as his anticipation of some attack began suffocating him. A voice in his head told to run, but his instincts told him that if he did, he would be dead before he could even scream. But he could feel that his watcher was preparing to kill him now. Death was cackling triumphantly.

Ed could do nothing but trudge on, feeling as if he were walking towards the edge of a steep cliff.

His mind was working overtime, analyzing his surroundings and running through all the disasters that can occur and what he could do to survive said disasters. In the end, he decided that he should just act natural. After all, if there was someone watching him, he didn't know what weapons they might possess. If they had a gun, he wouldn't be able to do anything at the moment without risking a bullet in his head.

Minutes went by. The air became unnaturally still and the temperature of the forest seemed to take a nosedive towards nearly freezing extremes despite the sun that was crawling towards noon. Ed walked on.

He was deep in the forest now anyway. There was no way for him to turn back now, for he would more likely get lost than return to the safety of the base.

Time passed. Nothing happened. Yet the feeling continued to intensify and if looks could kill, Ed would have been annihilated ten times over. Still, there was no action.

The young alchemist was beginning to get used to the tense atmosphere when it started. The watcher had enough of watching. Death was raising its axe.

The sound of a breaking branch sounded from behind him.

Ed felt himself tense, but with a massive amount of effort, walked on.

 _Just act natural. Just act natural. JUST ACT NATURAL._ He chanted to himself in his head, barely able to resist the temptation to turn around to see what had broken the branch.

Unfortunately, he had been so focused on ignoring his follower that he didn't notice when they loaded their gun, a mere twenty meters away. Death was swinging its axe down, intending to take his head...

It missed.

The sound of multiple gunshots were heard and Ed's overly tight nerves snapped as he leaped down towards the ground immediately in response. He heard himself choke out a cry from a long distance away. The tree in front of him was filled with several holes.

He stared at it for a moment before leaping to his feet and stumbling back as the soil before him was attacked by another flurry of bullets.

Unfortunately, the ground behind him dropped and upon his next step, he found himself falling down through cluster of bushes and trees, their branches scratching him viciously like the claws of a bloodthirsty monster. Fortunately, it was this very fall that possibly saved his life, for his attacker had stop to chase after him since he had temporarily escaped their shooting range.

He heard a surprisingly soft and high pitched voice curse and footsteps come after him, even as he continued crashing through the undergrowth. By the time he finally landed, his clothes and bag of supplies were fairly torn and a number of scratches covered his entire body. Knowing that he was far from safe, Ed weakly rose to his feet.

Somehow, he had manged to keep a hold of his rifle. Now, he quickly loaded it and aimed for his attacker as they came to a stop above him.

They were wearing a mask, which covered their face, but to the young alchemist's shock, it was another human.

And not just any human. A woman. A familiar one too.

For the past month or so, the only other person he had seen was Mustang. Now, here was this oddly familiar woman, who for some reason wanted to kill him.

"Who are you?" Ed tried asking, but his damaged voice had yet to fully heal and the question ended up as a whisper, falling on deaf ears. His attacker however, did seem to realize that Ed was armed as well and that they were now at a stalemate. Neither of them could attack. Finally, the stranger lowered their gun. Ed relaxed slightly, but wisely decided to not reciprocate his opponents actions. His opponent then spoke.

"Give up now and Master might allow you to live." She said. The voice was as familiar as the woman herself, but Ed couldn't quite place a name on her. Whoever she was, the young alchemist had no intention of listening to them.

He shook his head. The stranger sighed.

"Struggling is useless. Even as we speak, my allies are approaching. You will be recaptured either way. If you give up now, his majesty may have mercy on you."

 _Recaptured?_ Ed thought, narrowing his eyes. _What does that mean? Does she know something about what happened to me?_

As questions swirled around in his head, Ed froze for a moment. The strange woman however, took his silence as a refusal to her request .

"Very well, Edward Elric. You bought this upon yourself." She said quietly. Before Ed could process her words, she aimed her gun once more and series of gunshots rang loud in the air. For an injured person who had just fallen down a hill, Ed managed to dodge all of her bullets well enough, though his automail arm ended up being grazed by one.

As he backed away from her, Ed fired back at the woman, although hesitantly. It had been hard enough to shoot a chimera and an enemy with his brother's face, but to actually kill another human being was out of the question. Thankfully, the woman attacking him hadn't realized this weakness yet. She seemed to be expecting him to aim for her head or some other area that would fatally wound her.

As he continued dodging, growing slower and sloppier as time passed, Ed resigned to the fact that he would never escape from her. He would have to shoot and actually hit her. The rifle in his hand had only a few bullets left, so he had to take his time before firing. Taking a deep breath, the young alchemist dove behind a big tree, which was immediately filled with bullet holes. He gripped his weapon and closed his eyes, remembering the woman's position and where he would have to aim.

Then, the gunshots suddenly stopped and all was oddly silent. Confused and slightly concerned, Ed took a brief glance at his enemy from behind the tree, only to nearly end up with a bullet between his eyes. But in that instant, Ed saw that his opponent was making her way down to him and he knew that his time had become limited. It was now, or never. Before he could talk himself out of it or start getting scared, Ed leaped out into the open.

The strange woman was running towards him, so she couldn't fire as quickly, though she was a lot more accurate. Ed dodged her attacks as he took aim, gritting his teeth as his flesh arm was grazed. Then, he closed his eyes, unable to watch, and pulled the trigger.

A short cry was heard as his bullet hit its target and when he heard the sound of a body falling to the ground, Ed knew that he had won this battle. He opened his eyes, threw his rifle to the ground, and ran towards his fallen opponent, who was currently busy with her wounded leg.

Before she could react, Ed had transmuted a blade from his automail arm and, although he had no intention to kill her, put up decent act as he pointed the blade at her throat.

Now that he was closer, he decided to ask his previous question.

"Who are you?" The woman, still in pain from her wound, didn't respond, though Ed got the feeling that she was glaring bloody murder at him.

Knowing that he would be there till sunset if he tried getting his enemy to talk, he decided to take off her mask instead. She didn't make much of an effort to stop him as he took off the white thing covering her face. But when he did, his heart came to a stop. His automail arm dropped to his side. A look of shock and horror filled his eyes. His mind, which had been full of questions, went blank. All he could really do, was stare at the all too familiar face. Then, he choked out her name, his voice barely a whisper.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye..."

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 **A/N: I didn't mean to end it at a cliffhanger, I promise! :) It just seemed like the right place to stop (cliffhangers at the end of one chapter helps me create a better beginning in the next chapter, therefore guaranteeing a faster update) I bet most of y'all are on vacation (lucky! My family can't afford to go anywhere), but I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter anyway. If you're busy I understand, but I'd be really grateful if you could favorite/follow if you haven't already and review! Was this chapter good? Bad? How was the pacing? Was the action part exciting (I'm especially worried about this and the pacing of this chapter)? Was the beginning half of this chapter good (worried about that too)? Did you expect Ed's attacker to be Hawkeye (Hopefully not)? Did having Hawkeye here seem random (Hopefully not, since I planned this out about a month ago. Rest assured, this was not just some random chapter, in case you think it is. But please do tell me if you think it is)?  
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 **Responses to Reviews from last chapter:**

 **LuvversLuvvie: Thanks for the review! I purposefully decided not to reveal too much since this is just the beginning of this story. If the pacing is slow however, then please do elaborate. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! :)**

 **taylovesbevin: Thanks for the review! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint! Next update shouldn't take so long... (no promises :()**

 **lilaclily00: Thank you for the review and constructive criticism! Honestly, I didn't really think much about Ed's refusal to kill anybody (it's been awhile since I've last seen FMA) However, looking back at it, I realize that he should have been a lot more hesitant about shooting somebody/something. My excuse is that he was very scared and wanted to survive, so he didn't think much when he pulled the trigger. I do see your point with how he should have been more hesitant about shooting the Al clone though. I'll be sure to make a note about that and change that scene when I go back to edit everything after this arc (Yes, I have divided this story into arcs. As of right now, there are six arcs.) Thanks for telling me about your confusion, I hope this clears things up. If you have anymore concerns/confusions/advice, feel free to tell me! :)**

 **Guest: Thanks for the awesome review! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint and I really appreciate your feedback!**

 **Linvalay: Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **waddiwasiwitch: Thanks for reviewing! You have amazing powers of prediction! Indeed, Ed regrets his action and he and Mustang never have or will get along for long periods of time... Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Relena Duo: Thanks for the review and feedback! Hope this chapter was enjoyable.**

 **FMA IS BAE 4 EVER: Thanks for reviewing! The Colonel does tend to leave the injured Ed on his own at the worst times, doesn't he? Hope you enjoyed this chapter**

 **Brenne: Thanks for reviewing! Sorry about the cliffhangers (not really :)). However, as I've explained before, cliffhangers= faster updates! Also, cliffhangers often feel like the right place to stop to me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter**

 **Thank you to everybody for reading this (This is the longest A/N I've ever written!)! I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving (If you aren't American, I still wish you a wonderful week!) with your families and I'll see you guys soon. Until next time (Hopefully next week), I, EndlessStars, bid you farewell!**


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